When the top two batters are getting on base and wreaking havoc on the base paths the Texas Rangers are at their best offensively.

Look no further than Monday night when Martin and Andrus sparked the Rangers’ to the biggest inning in the big leagues this year — an 11-run third — en route to a 16-5 shellacking of the Houston Astros.

“When they’re going we’re at our best” manager Ron Washington said. “It works when those two guys are going.”

Before they got going what became the 11-run third Martin and Andrus teamed up for a two-run first.

Martin led off with an infield single moved to third on a perfectly timed hit-and-run on Andrus’ single through a vacated hole at second and scored on a sacrifice fly by Ian Kinsler.

Andrus went to third on Kinsler’s sac fly too. Adrian Beltre drew an intentional walk and then A.J. Pierzynski struck out swinging. But Beltre broke for second on the third strike and avoided a tag.

Andrus meanwhile broke for home and stole it for the third time in his career. It marked just the 29th steal of home in Rangers history.

The Astros pulled to within 2-1 in the second against Matt Garza but the Rangers quickly put the game out of reach in the third.

They scored 11 runs in an inning that had leadoff man Martin reach on a bunt single and a total of 15 batters come to the plate every starter score and with the help of only one extra-base hit.

After Martin bunted his way on Andrus singled. Both advanced on a sacrifice bunt by Kinsler and nine batters followed before the Astros recorded the second out.

“Me and Leonys set the table pretty well today” Andrus said. “We make things easier for the rest of the lineup when we do that.”

It certainly did.

Pierzynski had a two-run single and Mitch Moreland had a two-run double to put the Rangers ahead 6-1. That it seemed put the game away. The Rangers are 46-3 this season when scoring at least five runs in a game.